“I think we are in a very good place and we have made a huge amount of progress since the CoCom’s last visit”, Ian Reid, CEO Birmingham 2022.
Following the conclusion of its two day visit to Birmingham, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Coordination Commission has expressed its confidence in the preparations for the 2022 Games.
The Coordination Commission (CoCom) is tasked with monitoring Games delivery to scope, schedule and budget with a focus on efficiency and effectiveness.
On what was their second visit to the West Midlands, the CoCom conducted site visits to key venues for the Games including the Athletes' Village in Perry Barr, where construction is underway, and the Alexander Stadium, which is set for a £70 million investment to transform it from its current capacity of 12,700 to up to 40,000.
The CoCom also heard a number of presentations from the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee and partners on areas including sport, transport, security and brand. There was a particular focus on capital builds with construction currently on track with the Athletes’ Village, Sandwell Aquatics Centre and Alexander Stadium.
Following the visit, CGF CoCom Chair Chris Jenkins said:
“We have been really impressed with preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and feel that the Organising Committee is in very good shape.
“We could clearly see a very strong collaboration between all the partners working on the event and that bodes very well for the athletes, coaches and support staff that we will see at the Games.
“There is also a strong emphasis on community engagement which will help showcase the many long-term benefits for the people of the region.
“The big challenge remains time and there is no time to lose given the shortened window Birmingham have had to prepare for the Commonwealth Games compared to other host cities.
“With just over three years to go, getting everything ready in record time will remain a challenge but the Commission has every confidence that the partnership will deliver a fantastic Games in 2022 for the West Midlands.”
Ian Reid, Chief Executive Officer for Birmingham 2022, said:
“I’ve been delighted to host the CGF’s Coordination Commission over the last few days and it has been a good opportunity to take a step back and take stock of our progress. We have had some very productive discussions and the experienced CoCom has given us some really good insights to factor into our future planning.
“I think we are in a very good place and we have made a huge amount of progress since the CoCom’s last visit and there have been some real milestones too, with the start of construction on the Athletes’ Village as a clear example of how this project is moving forward quickly. We’ve also been working intensely with local businesses over the last six months, to really get the message out about how they can benefit from the Games.”
The other members of the four-person CoCom are Andrew Ryan, Executive Director for the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), Darren Hall, Chief Operating Officer at the CGF and Carole Forrest, Director of Governance and Solicitor to the Council for Glasgow City.
The visit ended yesterday with the CoCom scheduled to conduct its next visit in December 2019.
About the CGF
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games, and for delivering on the vision of the Commonwealth Sports Movement: to build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities globally by inspiring Commonwealth Athletes to drive the impact and ambition of all Commonwealth Citizens through Sport.
